


one night in new york

by CapnShellhead



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Blow Jobs, Canon Divergence - Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Frottage, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 10:46:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14400519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapnShellhead/pseuds/CapnShellhead
Summary: Steve needs somewhere to lay low after Pierce's men come after him. Unfortunately, there's only one person he trusts at the moment.





	one night in new york

**Author's Note:**

> A quick fill for the bingo square "on the run".
> 
> Enjoy!

When Tony wakes, it’s dark out.

Unsure what woke him, he settles further into his warm sheets and rubs at his eyes. He was exhausted. He’d slept alone for most of his life (when he could sleep, anyway). Somehow, Pepper had woven her way into his life, his home and his bed. She’d made a place for herself and he’d grown used to her soft breathing beside him, her warmth seeping into his skin as she held him. Now she was gone, having left the necklace he’d gifted her on the bedroom dresser before returning to Malibu.

It seemed he’d never gotten used to sleeping by himself again; it had been a long, arduous process.

He’d assumed it was a chill or reaching over into empty space that had woken him. Sitting up, he resolves to give up sleep for the night and make a pot of coffee instead. Then he hears a sigh from the corner of his room.

“You know, you really should get more sleep.”

Tony’s heart rate ticks up because he knows that voice; he just doesn’t understand why he’s hearing it in his bedroom. He looks over to see Steve lean forward in the armchair, his elbows resting on his knees. In the dim lighting from the city below, Tony can barely make out his face. But it was definitely him.

Steve Rogers was very much alive.

And on the run.

“What are you doing here?” Tony asks, swinging his legs over the edge to climb out of bed. He shuffles over, fully awake as he takes in Steve’s stiff movements. Dropping to his knees, Tony flicks on the table lamp to get a better look at Steve’s face. His stomach twists, “Steve,” he began.

Steve waves him off with a quick, “It’s nothing. Tony, _Tony_ , it’s nothing.” Steve’s face is bruised in several places, a split lip and what looks like several small cuts on his face and neck from-

“Did you go through a window?” Tony asks, leaning in to get a better look. Steve smells like motor oil and soot, his hair darker from a mix of the two, it seemed like. “Steve, what the hell happened?”

Steve flashes a sheepish smile, his eyes soft and Tony calms a little. “I went through a few windows, actually,” he says to Tony’s dismay and then he hurries to say, “I’m fine. Really, I’m okay. How are you?” he asks and Tony’s eyes widen in confusion.

“How am I?” he repeats. “The news outlets aren’t even sure if you’re alive. I’ve got phone calls from Bruce and Clint asking me if I’ve heard from you because they’re not sure either. I’ve got SHIELD calling me every five minutes.”

Steve goes still, eyes hard, “SHIELD?” He takes hold of Tony’s shoulders, “Who? Who from SHIELD?”

Tony frowns at him worriedly, “I don’t know. I’m not good with names,” he says, offering a weak smile. Steve doesn’t return it, instead covering his face as he struggles to stand. Tony reaches out to steady him, “Hey, hey, sit down. You don’t look too good.”

“This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come here,” he responds and turns to leave.

“What did I say?” Tony asks, following closely as Steve starts for the bedroom door. He hurries to stand in front of Steve, holding his hands out. He’s standing in front of Steve in boxers and nothing else. He’s shivering, just slightly but enough that Steve can see it and it softens his resolve. His eyes are open and honest and Steve knows Tony well enough to know when he was trying to hide something. Whatever threat was after Steve at the moment, Tony wasn’t a part of it. “What’s going on here? Let me in.”

Steve shakes his head, whispering, “It’s not safe. I can’t ask you to help me. It’s my mess.”

Tony reaches out to touch his chest, holding Steve’s gaze. “We’re a team now, aren’t we? It’s our mess.” Steve hesitates but even so, Tony can see the hope in his eyes. “Come on. Let’s get you some coffee.”

+

Tony hands Steve a hot cup of coffee and graciously doesn’t comment when Steve asks if they can sit in the pantry: the one place where there were no windows. Tony sits down beside him on the floor with his own mug and listens as Steve tells the whole story: about Fury’s death, the assassin on the rooftop, Pierce’s threatening chat and what happened in the elevator. Tony’s eyes widen at intervals but he’s quiet, the longest Steve’s ever heard him go without speaking.

“I don’t know how deep this goes,” he finishes, sipping the last dregs of his coffee. “Maybe Peggy was right: maybe SHIELD is rotting from the inside and we have to start over.”

Tony hums quietly, tapping his fingers on his mug. He’d finished a long time ago; three quick sips and he was empty but he’d stayed here with Steve. He’d been deep in sleep when Steve woke him and god knows the man didn’t get enough sleep as it is. Steve kicks himself for a moment but the damage was done. “What do you think?” he asks.

Tony sighs, rubbing at his eyes and Steve’s guilt worsens. “Look, it’s Fury. The first time I met the guy, it was after finding out he’d planted one of his little baby spies in my company. He doesn’t know how to tell the truth.” A pause, then he adds, “But if the spy of spies is telling you not to trust an organization of spies… I’d say that’s the right call.”

Steve nods, “I think so, too.”

“I can’t believe he’s really gone,” Tony says quietly. “We weren’t always on good terms but I trusted he was making calls for the common good, you know?”

“I know,” Steve agrees quietly. He had his issues with Fury too but they agreed on one thing: SHIELD was necessary to make the world a safer place. Steve had jumped into working alongside the man but, the first time they’d met, it was after SHIELD tried to pretend he was still in the 1940s. Not a great start but he’d come to believe they had common goals.

“So, what do I do? SHIELD is after me now and I don’t exactly have the resources to lay low. And I don’t want to. Someone needs to answer for this. Not to mention, someone’s going to go looking for that drive.”

“Or someone at the hospital’s gonna get a hankerin’ for some bubble gum,” Tony says dubiously. He kicks Steve’s boot with his bare foot. “What were you thinking?”

Steve shrugs sheepishly, “I had to think fast! Don’t judge me.”

“Oh, I’m definitely judging you. Why wouldn’t you put it behind the stuff no one likes? Like those cookies that double for hockey pucks? That’s a sure bet.” Steve shakes his head fondly. “That’s your legendary tactical mind at work, huh?”

“Shut up,” Steve says, grin widening. “Any bright ideas, genius?” Tony flashes him a bright smile that takes Steve’s breath away momentarily. He averts his eyes as his cheeks warm.

Tony thinks for a moment, tapping his fingers distractedly against his mug. He seemed to constantly find new things to tap his fingers against seeing as he no longer had the arc reactor in his chest. Steve found his eyes drawn to the missing light a few times since he’d been here. Yet another big change Steve hadn’t been around to see.

“Well, if I was Pierce, and we do think he’s the wizard behind the curtain on this, right?” Steve nods. “Okay, okay… well if I’m Pierce, I’d want to track down the data first. I’m thinking that’s what caused him to go after Fury in the first place. I’d try to get that before I worried about you. Unless, I thought you would lead me to it. Did they see where you went when you took down the quinjet?”

“Pretty sure they didn’t. I couldn’t go home obviously so I ditched my bike in the nearest town off the interstate and, uh, borrowed another car.” Tony stares at him in surprise and he hurries to add, “I didn’t have a lot of options. I left a note.”

“He left a note,” Tony murmurs, covering his face. “Okay, so, assuming that’s Pierce’s next move, and trust me: it is; what we need to do is get you back there before he sends one of his goons to search for it.”

Steve nods, “That’s what I thought.” He climbs to his feet and Tony follows him up, steadying him concernedly.

“You can barely stand. I’m sure Pierce is regrouping right now and you need a good night’s sleep.” Steve pins him with a disbelieving stare and Tony rolls his eyes. “You do and you need a shower. C’mon, Big Guy.”

Steve lets Tony steer him down the hall towards his bedroom. He feels his cheeks warm and tries to stay focused on the task at hand. Not the fact that he’d imagined Tony leading him to his room under different circumstances before.

“Anything to get me naked, huh?” he asks as Tony opens his bedroom door.

“You see right through me.”

+

The hot water beats down on Steve’s back, trailing down and around his calves as he rests his head against the cool tile. Tony was right; he did need this. He rests both hands against the tile and takes a few deep breaths. Some of the cuts from glass shards sting a little when soap seeps in. He hisses under the spray and shivers a little.

The elevator had been a close call. Probably one of the closest since the Battle of New York. Betrayal aside, he’d been well and truly trapped. Sure, he’d found a way out in the end but he’d had nowhere to go. He wanted to trust Natasha; he’d had over two years with her but he didn’t know if she was part of the SHIELD faction rotting from the inside. She’d easily lied to him on the Lemurian Star with no remorse whatsoever. Sure, she’d been lying for Fury but has she simply been doing her job or was she part of the group after him?

No, she’d seemed rather broken up when she arrived at the hospital. Then again, she was a terrific actress.

Cursing, he leans back from the wall. He’d have to be careful; the only person he knew for sure he could trust at the moment was Tony. He’d come here because he’d been sure the only person bugging the Tower was JARVIS (and that was for Tony’s safety). He tries to convince himself he’d made the right call coming here.

Tony was so eager to help but he was always eager to help Steve. He idolized Steve for some reason and Steve knew that despite how quickly Tony would deny it if asked. Steve didn’t know what he’d done to earn it and he was certain he didn’t’ deserve it. Even so, he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t exploited it once or twice to get Tony to see medical or rest when he’d been up for 48 hours straight. He’d known Tony would jump at the chance to help him with this issue but Tony certainly had his own worries at the moment. He shouldn’t have to deal with Steve bringing his own troubles to Tony’s doorstep.

Steve had been overseas in London when things with the Mandarin kicked off. He’d wanted to come back and he’d asked Fury to take him out but he wouldn’t risk it. They had too much at stake with AIM and, as far as they knew, Tony was dead. As stubborn as he was, Steve refused to believe it was true and that thought kept him going through the rest of the mission. He’d been certain; they’d found no body and Tony had survived insurmountable odds before. He was hard man to kill and Steve focused on that but it wasn’t until Hill sent him reports confirming it that he was able to take a real breath.

Tony had always considered Steve’s optimism as one of his better, less annoying qualities and Steve always shrugged it off but the alternative terrified him. It was selfish (and he realizes that now) but he’d been so concerned with the time they wouldn’t have if he lost Tony so early. They’d started on bad terms and even after agreeing to let that scene on the helicarrier go, they clashed rather easily. They were both bullheaded, Steve was used to leading and Tony was used to working solo and on top of that, Tony’s method of bonding involved nicknames and teasing and Steve took a lot of it to heart to at first.

It was hard to say what really caused the change between them. Maybe it was one day out where he looked across the battlefield and realized he felt completely supported with Iron Man at his back. Maybe it was finding Tony hopping around the kitchen, his fingers in his mouth because he’d nearly burned them trying to bake a birthday cake for Natasha. Maybe it was that night out for Thor’s birthday where he’d realized the spark in Tony’s eyes wasn’t just due to the argument they were having but also because Tony was having _fun_. Maybe it was all of those things but when Hill told him Stark was missing, presumed dead, Steve couldn’t help but picture all the conversations they would never have.

He’d remained stubborn in his convictions that Tony was very much alive and laying low while he figured out his next move because it hurt to imagine anything else. When he found out Tony was alive, he made plans to stop by and check in then something new came up and then another and another and now, the first time he’d popped in to see Tony since he’d nearly died and he was on the run from the world’s most thorough paramilitary organization.

Sighing, he turns the water off and climbs out of the shower. Grabbing a towel he wraps it around his waist and shuffles back into Tony’s bedroom. This was the only room properly reconstructed after the damage from the Chitauri army and Hulk’s fight with Loki. He crosses the floor, eying Tony’s blush curiously. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Tony says and pointedly focuses on his tablet. “Is it my birthday?” he mutters and Steve stiles a laugh. Then he realizes he has nothing to wear.

“I don’t have any clothes,” he says with a sigh. He looks to Tony hopefully who snorts.

“I don’t have anything that will even remotely fit you, mon Capitan.” Steve shakes his head and opens the drawers regardless. They’re full of dark t-shirts and briefs. He snags a shirt that feels extremely soft to the touch and figures it must be old and well worn. He holds it up for Tony’s approval and watches his eyes narrow.

“My limited edition Rush t-shirt? Are you asking me if you can stretch that out?” Steve frowns at him and he sighs, “Go ahead. Don’t worry about it. It’ll probably be worth more now, anyway.”

Steve smiles gratefully and pulls it on. It’s ridiculously soft and form fitting. Steve smoothes a hand over it and turns to show Tony. He laughs, falling back against his pillows with a grin. Steve shakes his head and pulls out a pair of briefs, bypassing the Captain America boxers with a wry grin.

“These okay? It’s either these or…” he trails off and Tony blushes with a quick nod. It was a little odd wearing someone else’s underwear. These were just as soft and a little snug but when he turns, Tony carefully keeps his eyes on Steve’s face.

Steve sits down on the edge of the bed and runs the towel over his hair. “You know, before the serum, this shirt would’ve been a little big on me. Tony’s eyes crinkle in the corners as he eyes Steve gleefully. Steve’s skin warms but he feels something in him settle.

“That’s right! You were a little guy. Like me,” he says and Steve shakes his head fondly.

“No, not like you. You’re what 5’8? 5’9?”

“Give or take.”

“I was 5’4 at the most and weighed 95 pounds soaking wet. You wouldn’t have looked twice at me,” he adds and Tony flashes a seductive grin.

“Course I would. You were hot.”

Steve’s eyes widen, “How would you know?”

“I’ve seen pictures.” He gestures to himself, “Big fan. Plus, my dad kept a lot of stuff from the war. You were gorgeous. Those pretty baby blues, long blond lashes and that smug little grin. Total babe.”

“I wasn’t smug,” he counters and blushes, a little tongue-tied at the moment. He’d gotten quite a bit of praise over the way he looked now but he hadn’t heard anyone compliment the way he’d looked before. Was Tony joking?

Tony’s eyes were dark, his voice a calm drawl and it certainly didn’t sound like he was joking. “You didn’t follow the rules,” he began. “I read about you. Always had a thing for bad boys.”

Steve huffs out a laugh, turning to face Tony more head on. Now he was having gun. “I wasn’t a bad boy. Trust me.”

“You got in several alley fights; big temper for such a little guy. You lied your way into the army, clevered your way through basic training. And after they super sized you, you snuck out to rescue the Howling Commandos. That’s pretty bad ass in my book,” he finishes, reaching out to nudge Steve’s hip with his knee. His eyes are bright with mirth. “It was hot. Total rebel.”

Steve holds his gaze, his heart starting to beat faster. The mood shifted somewhere in there; Steve can’t pinpoint it exactly. There was a tension he’d only ever felt when they were arguing except, the way Tony was looking at him gave him pause. “You think so, huh? Well, what about you?”

“Me? I’m a total badass,” Tony says lightly and Steve rolls his eyes.

“You built a suit right under your kidnappers’ noses and flew yourself to safety. And after you were safe, you flew right back out in the danger zone to destroy the rest of your weapons. You saved New York and you saved a lot of people from Killian. You are a badass.”

Tony’s eyes soften and he spares a small smile, “That means a lot coming from you.” It’s quiet and Steve wants to say more but he can’t quite muster the courage. Tony blinks at him, “What is it?”

Steve holds onto the towel like a lifeline before reaching over to set it on the bedside table. When he turns back, he carefully telegraphs placing his hand on the bed beside Tony’s hip, boxing him in. Tony stares up at him, hesitant as Steve murmurs, “I’m going to do something stupid and I’m probably kidding myself but I kinda think you want me to.” Tony is quiet, his eyes widening as Steve leans in before falling closed as their lips touch. Tony sighs, reaching up to cup Steve’s cheek as he opens for him eagerly. Steve was nervous; not only because he was taking a chance here but also because it had been a while since he’d kissed anyone.

Tony didn’t seem to have any complaints, lying back as Steve climbs on top of him. Tony was soft and warm, welcoming Steve in easily. Steve nips at his lips and takes his tongue, letting Tony’s scent envelope him.

He loses time here, entranced by every gasp and muffled moan he drew from Tony’s lips. Every arc of his body that pushed him further into Steve’s space. He could stay here forever but his hands are drawn to Tony’s body. He slides a hand beneath Tony’s shirt, a flash of heat down his spine as Tony shivers at the feel. A calloused thumb brushes a sensitive nipple and he smiles when Tony bucks his hips in response. He wants to touch Tony everywhere at once but for now, he settles with stroking Tony’s chest and matching every roll of his hips.

Tony pulls back for air, his chest rising softly beneath Steve’s as he breathes, “God, you’re amazing.” His hair was a mess and Steve’s not entirely sure if that was his doing but it was a good look. Tony looked like chaos incarnate, his eyes bright and electric, his body a livewire of energy. It was clear he was containing himself, taking it slow for Steve and while honorable, Steve doesn’t need it.

He shifts, feeling Tony hard beneath him and it sends a flash of fire through his blood. “C’mere,” he murmurs, sliding his fingers through Tony’s hair as he pulls him into a kiss. He slides his thigh higher to give Tony more to grind against and he takes it, writhing as Steve presses his mouth to his throat.

Tony groans, holding Steve tight to him pants, “Steve” in a needy tone that makes Steve want to devour him. They work together, in sync as Tony whines and grips Steve’s borrowed shirt. Then Tony’s head falls back, crying out as his hips buck and warmth spreads between them.

Steve’s cock jerks in envy, leaking precome into his borrowed briefs. It makes his stomach twist with pleasure as he pulls back to get a look at Tony’s flushed face, lax with gratification. Steve grinds down again, helping him work through it, stealing soft kisses in the process. When Tony comes down, his eyes open dazedly and he whispers, “You’re ruining my clothes, Rogers.”

Steve grins, stealing another kiss. “Should take them off.”

“You should,” Tony agrees, pulling the t-shirt over Steve’s head. He starts on the briefs when Tony pushes at his hip and gets Steve on his back. Steve goes amusedly, letting Tony pull the briefs down his legs. He flashes Steve a mischievous grin and slides down between Steve’s thighs. “You’re in a for a real treat.”

Steve starts to ask when Tony takes hold of his length and strokes it firmly. He watches the genius lick his lips and his insides twist in anticipation. Hot breath mists over the head of his cock as Tony murmurs, “I’m going to enjoy this.”

He drops down to give an experimental swipe of his tongue along the underside, smearing precome around the head with his thumb. He strokes Steve firmly from root to tip, sending shivers down Steve’s spine before taking the messy head in his mouth. Steve keens, his head falling back as Tony bobs his head to take him further and further inside his mouth. He moves with the bucking of Steve’s hips, rising up, rolling Steve’s balls in his hand as he sucks him down. Panting, Steve fights to keep his eyes focused on the sinful way Tony’s lips stretched around his girth but every swipe of that clever tongue draws his eyes closed.

Tony sucks ardently at his cock, engulfing more and more of the length with time. It takes a few tries and Steve is proud to say he’d always been a big guy downstairs. From the looks of things, Tony was quite at home here turning Steve inside out with every slide of his tongue. Tony works almost stubbornly, his cheeks hollowed until his nose meets the nest of soft, blond curls at the bottom, eyes closed in intent focus. Steve gasps, the sight more than he can handle with the tight and slick warmth of Tony’s mouth around him. Tony swallows, squeezing even tighter around Steve’s length and Steve barely has time to call out a warning.

“Tony – Tony, I’m going to come. Tony, please,” he begs and Tony opens his eyes with a challenging glint. He twists his hand cleverly around Steve’s length, sucking ardently on the sensitive head as Steve nearly shakes out of his skin.

His vision whites out, toes curling as he pulses once, twice and spills mercifully over Tony’s tongue. Tony preens, milking Steve’s cock expertly into his mouth. Steve muffles his desperate whines into the pillows as Tony works. Steve knew what would happen next but Tony wouldn’t. No unless Howard’s notes on the serum had been incredibly detailed.

He tries to reach out and warn Tony but he keeps stroking, working Steve through his orgasm. Steve blushes deep red, covering his face for a moment as he rasps, “It’s a lot. I know.”

He looks up as Tony pulls off, swallowing and Steve’s cock gives a strong pulse at the sight, spilling more. “Holy shit, Steve,” he breathes out in wonder. He strokes Steve’s cock, eyes wide as Steve releases more and more come. He’d covered Tony’s hand, his stomach and the bed with it. Steve is mortified but Tony leans over to take the tip in his mouth again as he coaxes more out, groaning as Steve continues to spill down his throat.

To Steve, it must’ve gone on forever but to Tony, it feels like no time at all. When Steve’s all wrung out, sweaty, shaking and spent, his cock softening in Tony’s mouth, he pulls off with a gentle stroke. Steve whimpers, his cock giving a weak twitch but no more comes forth.

He gazes up at Tony in awe, stomach twisting at the sight of Tony’s face. His mouth was a mess of saliva and Steve’s release, his eyes bright with excitement where Steve thought he’d be disgusted. Tony climbs between his legs to take his mouth again. The taste of his come on Tony’s mouth was novel but not unpleasant. He murmurs, “I know that was weird.”

“S’not, it was amazing,” Tony cheers. He steals another kiss before he pulls back to add, “I mean, I have a lot of theories as to why there’s so much of it but I just want to test it out.”

“Tony,” Steve chides fondly. He can sense Tony’s talking about the fun kind of experiment.

“Is it always like that?” he asks and Steve nods. “Next time you can fill me up,” he replies and Steve groans, taking his mouth hungrily. He can picture it now: Tony flushed and needy on his back, the tight squeeze of his ass around Steve’s cock. His cock sinking into Tony’s tight heat, watching the play of emotions on his face as Steve slowly filled him up. It’d be even tighter than his mouth and Steve can’t resist pressing down against Tony’s hips. “You like that, huh?” Tony asks with a soft laugh.

“Very much, yes,” Steve admits, taking his mouth again. He strokes Tony’s hip, a little nervous, “There’s going to be a next time?”

“Of course,” Tony replies, gazing down at him adoringly. “For science and for fun.” Steve’s heart warms and he smiles as Tony steals another kiss.

His excitement devolves into sleepy kisses and Steve laughs when Tony yawns in his face. “You should get some sleep.”

Tony nods, his head drooping, “I should. I definitely should.” He rests his head on Steve’s chest and Steve strokes his back, following Tony under.

+

When Steve wakes, it’s light outside.

He knows it must be early in the morning and he’ll have to find some clothes and a way back to DC soon enough. Maybe he should’ve found a place closer to home to regroup but he finds he doesn’t regret stopping here. If things went topside with Pierce, at least he had this night. He wouldn’t trade it for anything.

He has the scent of Tony’s shampoo in his nose, the sound of his soft breathing in his ears. It was worth it for this.

As if hearing his thoughts, Tony starts to shiver on top of him and Steve starts to pull the covers over them when he realizes it isn’t a chill that’s causing it. Tony’s muttering something, his face twisted in fear and Steve’s heart clenches. He pulls the covers up anyway and strokes Tony’s back. It doesn’t help and Tony continues to shake, the tremors worsening with every passing moment.

Considering what he’d been through, it could be any number of nightmares plaguing Tony at the moment. Steve shakes him lightly, whispering, “Tony, wake up. You’re in New York. You’re safe.” He starts to sit up when Tony jerks awake with a shout, his arms outstretched as though there was a gauntlet over his palm. Steve stares at him, blinking in confusion as Tony takes deep breaths and starts to take in his surroundings.

He takes in Steve’s presence with renewed surprise and slowly lowers his hands. Offering a sheepish smile, he says, “Sorry. I’m not a fun bedmate, these days.”

“You’re just fine,” Steve counters, stroking his hands down Tony’s arms to calm it. It works some, Tony’s shoulders slumping down as he breathes. “What happened there?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Tony replies, lying down on his side. “The usual. Wormhole.”

Steve’s stomach twists, bile rising in his throat. He knew he’d had no other choice but to make the call that day but knowing that didn’t make it any easier to live with. He as so grateful Tony made it back but part of him would always wonder what his life would be like if that day had gone another way. If they’d lost a teammate their first mission out. If he’d lost Tony before he really got to know him.

The thought draws his arms tight around Tony’s shoulders and he holds him close. Tony shudders, his skin clammy as Steve pulls the comforter over his shoulders again. Tony laughs, nosing into Steve’s throat as he gets warm. “I’m sorry. You need your sleep,” he murmurs in apology.

“So do you,” Steve replies. The shaking subsides and he pulls Tony onto his chest again. “About Malibu-“

“Don’t worry about it, Cap,” he mumbles sleepily. “I handled it. Well, actually Pepper handled it.”

“Even so, I should have checked in on you. I took Fury’s word that you were okay and I should’ve come by to see for myself.” He strokes Tony’s back and listens to his breathing even out.

After some time, he wondered if Tony had fallen back to sleep but then he whispers, “For a while there, I thought I was done.” He sucks in a ragged breath and continues, “I made a lot of suits, Steve. Tons of them. I planned for every contingency thinking they’d keep me safe. But they can’t; nothing can stop what’s out there.”

Steve strokes his back, murmuring, “Tony, it’ll be okay.”

Tony shook his head, “You didn’t see what I saw. Loki, that army… they’re just the beginning. The opening gambit. There’s _so_ much more out there and when it comes, we won’t be ready.”

Steve drops a kiss to his head, “We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it,” he says firmly.

Tony sighs in response. “We have to be _ready_ , Steve.”

“And we will be. One fight at a time, Tony. That’s all we can do.” Tony nods, nuzzling into Steve’s chest, sighing when Steve continues petting him soothingly. He was such a tactile person and Steve hadn’t touched anyone since waking up in the future. It was nice and with Tony’s breath warm on his skin, his soft weight atop his chest, he almost believed his words.

He may not have seen what Tony had seen but clearly there was another world beyond theirs. One Fury had tried to prepare for with weapons intended to go toe to toe with gods. There was a battle out there beyond anything Steve had ever seen. But for now, he had to worry about the fight on the ground.

He strokes Tony’s back and listens to his breathing even out. “I'll keep you safe,” he vows.


End file.
